Mitchell Merrell

English 1010
Lynn Taylor
4/25/15
The Question of Marijuana
Around our nation, in nearly every corner of it, you would be able to
find some sort of presence from marijuana. Low class, middle class, upper
class, teens, adults, even sick patients, marijuana has become even more
prominent than ever before. In fact, its become so widespread that there
are groups seriously looking in to its properties - both negative and positive,
and both recreational and medicinal. Becoming an illegal substance in the
early 20th century, it has since been scrutinized as an addictive, harmful,
potential gateway drug for both youth and adults alike. This, however,
hasnt stopped people from growing, distributing, selling, or consuming it in fact, it has only sparked more to look into whether or not it should
become legal. After thoroughly looking through the issue, I believe
marijuana should become legal - the economic and medical benefits from
legalizing it far outweigh the downsides.
Cannabis, the genus of plants also known as marijuana, has been
around ever since it was first recorded to be used for medicine by the
father of Chinese medicine Emperor Shen Nung in 2732 B.C. Since then,
it has come and gone as both a medical and recreational drug, such as in
1845, marijuana was used to treat the depressed and insane. In 1971,

Medical World News declared that marijuana is the most potent

antiepileptic known. However in 1914, the first laws in the US were passed
to regulate marijuana, and in 1937 laws were passed to officially put a
federal ban on marijuana. Renowned celebrities have used cannabis as a
recreational drug, such as Louis Armstrong, and more famously Bob Marley,
both who were extremely revolutionary to their times. Even movie actors
such as Jack Nicholson used the drug regularly. More recently, in 2009
Canada was the first country ever to legalize cannabis. Since then, our
country has been moving forward with the movement to legalize it - in 2012,
Colorado and Washington became the first states in the United States to
allow recreational sale and usage for adults over the age of 21. 2015 saw
even the capital of the nation, Washington D.C. passed a bill allowing their
residents to possess and even grow marijuana. With the increasing amount
of attention and backing that pro-legalization is getting - around 58% of
Americans are all for legalizing marijuana (Winter par. 4) its important to
consider both sides before moving into an era where marijuana is back in
the open.
Marijuana has been used as a treatment for illness since ancient
times, and even now has been legalized for medicinal use in 23 states
throughout the country, most famously being California and the large
number of pharmaceutical stores that popped up selling medical marijuana.
However, the exact medical benefits are currently not able to be researched
as thoroughly as they should be - in fact, even though the issue of marijuana

is large and growing ever larger, there are relatively few studies on the
health benefits that can be gained. The reason for this is because of federal
restrictions on studying on an illegal substance such as marijuana - the
government classifies it as a highly restricted drug, meaning that it can take
years to get a sample to study, even if the research is being done in a state
where marijuana is legal, like Washington. Although researchers are
approved to use a strain of cannabis from the government, this strain is
much less potent than the ones being sold to users of the drug, and
therefore severely limits the results that would come from research. If
marijuana became legal, those researchers would have access to the topquality cannabis, allowing for more accurate studies.
Even though there are few studies, there has been at least some light
shed on the benefits of marijuana, the most popular being to treat cancer.
Marijuana is used extensively to treat nausea and pain for patients going
through chemotherapy. To a lesser degree, cannabis can also be used to
treat HIV patients, dramatically relieving pain due to the active ingredient
in marijuana, THC. THC is a cannabinoid, which targets the cannabinoid
receptors in the brain. THC targets the CB1 receptor, which when activated
regulates the feelings of pain and nausea. Marijuana also increases the
appetite in users, allowing cancer and HIV patients alike to eat when under
the effects of treatment. In addition to relieving pain and nausea, and
increasing appetite, studies have begun to show promise of treating

autoimmune conditions by targeting the immune system, and restricting the

growth of blood vessels to tumors.
Aside from the health benefits that can be reaped by patients, the
economics aspects from the legalization of marijuana are not something to
be overlooked. In Canada alone, even before the legalization of marijuana,
cannabis was the largest agricultural product, with sales reaching in
between $5 to $7 billion. Agriculturally, hemp can be used to make fabrics,
paper, fuel, and many more things that can take the place of resources that
we depend on - such as trees and fossil fuels. Currently, illegal sales within
the United States are estimated anywhere in between 70 to 100 billion
dollars annually. This number is on par with currently legal drugs, such as
alcohol and tobacco. Tobacco generates around $91 billion annually, up
there with beer alone which generates around $97 billion. With modern
trends slowly shifting away from beer, and medical studies unveiling the
enormous amount of negative health effects, marijuana could become a
larger product than either beer or tobacco, especially when consumers who
were deterred by its legal status buy in. Not only that, but with those
numbers the US treasury would be able to bring in around $9 billion in
taxes, with reduced costs due to law enforcement and imprisonment, which
is estimated to be costing the government around $13 billion a year.
Colorado, one of the states where marijuana is legal, generated more than
$3 million in taxes in January of 2014 alone, and a total of $53 million in
2014, when marijuana was first made able to be bought and sold.

However, there is still strong opposition to the legalization of

marijuana. The first is the fact that the U.S. Federal government, in 1961,
signed onto the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which prohibits
marijuana - leaving it to the states themselves to decide. The only way the
federal government would be able to legalize marijuana would be to
withdraw from the treaty, or withdraw and then sign back on with some
reservations - neither of which seem likely to ever happen. Along with that
fact, the opposition amongst the population has some reservations of their
own about the legalization of cannabis. One of the largest arguments I
found against legalization was the effects on the human brain, especially in
young people. Since THC attaches itself to receptors in the brain, there is a
potential for smoking cannabis on a regular basis to produce changes to the
brain. However, these changes are more prevalent in young adults, who are
still in the process of developing their brain, and, just like alcohol
consumption at a young age, it can impact the development of the brain.
When marijuana is produced into an edible form, such as in pastries and
then sold to look like sugary treats, young adults and even young children
are in danger of being enticed to try it. Along with the changes that can
come about in the brain, there is also a risk for impaired driving - a risk not
only to the health of the smoker and those around them while theyre
driving, but as an economic risk as well. Around 18% of all accidents which
are fatal involve some sort of non-alcoholic drug, mainly marijuana. In
Washington state alone, a group called Project Sam found that from 2010-

2011, the year before legalization, vehicle accidents caused by marijuanainfluenced driving has a 0.7% increase - however from 2012-2013, the year
after legalization, there was an eye-opening 40% increase.
Of course, the dangers of marijuana are only part of the equation, just
as the benefits are. From my research, however, I came to the conclusion
that just like any other drug, alcohol or tobacco, regulations and restrictions
are always better than straight out prohibition. If a person wants a certain
drug, he or she will find a way to get it, legal or not. The issue of whether or
not marijuana should become legal is one that shouldn't be taken lightly. As
far as health goes, there are the health benefits received by those who use
marijuana for medicinal use to ease pain from cancer or HIV/AIDS, and yet
there are certainly some factors that show the negative aspects to ones
health by pot useage. Economically the views on marijuana, however, are
mainly positive - the benefits that the government could reap by taxes (as
they do with alcohol and tobacco) would be plenty enough, and it would also
mean less nonviolent prisoners in jails and prisons. However, there is still
the risk of over-abuse by adults and an increased exposure to children and
young adults - another reason why it should be considered carefully. It was
placed into a prohibition for a reason, as was alcohol decades ago, and just
like when alcohol was legalized again, marijuana too needs to be carefully
considered before reinstating its legal status.
I came to the conclusion that prohibition, when it concerns something
as popular amongst the population as marijuana is, must be taken into

consideration, even if it means legalizing it. I found during my research that

most supporters of marijuana legalization touted the health benefits of
marijuana, when in fact they were mainly treatments - such as relief of pain,
inflammation, and an increase of hunger - and not long-term health benefits.
In fact, when looking at chronic, regular usage of marijuana, it seems that
the negative effects of cannabis outweighed the benefits, something they
fail to mention. When treating it like a medicine, it should be used as a
medicine - treatment for symptoms. However, on the other side of the coin,
condemners of legalization were mainly focused on the negative effects
marijuana can have on the body, such as cardiovascular problems, brain
development issues, addiction, etc. and yet never mention legal drugs we
have now - alcohol and tobacco - which have been shown to be much more
harmful to people when regularly used than marijuana. They fail to realize
how popular marijuana is, and could even be used as a substitute for either
drug; and while that doesnt mean that their health is secured, when
comparing the negative effects of alcohol and cigarette use, marijuana is a
much better alternative. The population needs to realize that marijuana,
just like alcohol and tobacco, is a drug - and should be treated as such, with
strict age regulations and laws. Without it being legalized, those people who
are determined to get it illegally will continue to do so, and suppliers will
continue to supply illegally as long as there is a demand - all the while the
state and federal government, as well as potential business owners, are
missing out on very large economic opportunities.

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